Sealing system for a closing flap on a passage orifice

ABSTRACT

A sealing system for a closing flap in a passage orifice of a facility where, in a coupled position, the closing flap rests in parallel against an identical closing flap on another facility in a sealing plane and cooperates therewith in such a way that the interiors of the two facilities are connected to one another. In a closed position, the individual closing flap has a seal on its circumference for sealing off an associated passage orifice. At least one of the two cooperating closing flaps has, on its circumference, a groove which is delimited on both sides by annular legs. A first leg delimits the groove toward the interior of the respective facility and extends near to the sealing surface of the passage orifice. The second leg is radially shortened relative to the first leg. Located on the seal, in the region radially outside the shortened leg, is an elastic bead which axially overlaps the shortened leg and, when the facilities are in the uncoupled position, at least partially projects beyond the sealing plane. The seal can be subjected to a pressure medium from inside.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a sealing system for a closing flap on apassage orifice of a facility, said flap being suitable for cooperatingwith identical closing flaps on other facilities, in such a way that,when the facilities are in the coupled position, said closing flaps restagainst one another and can be opened jointly, so that the interiors ofthe two facilities can be connected to one another.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Facilities, in this case, may be transport or storage containers,transfer facilities or machine tools or processing machines and thelike.

The products which are transported or transferred by means of or infacilities of this type are mostly flowable, for example particulate,liquid or pasty commodities. In this case, the commodities are oftenproducts having an active substance and/or an adjuvant for theproduction of a drug or of other chemical products, which may lead toadverse effects in the environment and, in particular, in humans. It istherefore necessary for these commodities to be treated, transported andtransferred, if possible sealed off essentially hermetically.

The prior art discloses various closing flaps or closing flap systems,by means of which, on the one hand, the individual facilities can besealed off in isolation and, on the other hand, after the cooperatingfacilities have been coupled, the closing flaps of the two facilitiescan be brought jointly in parallel, about a common axis, into an openingposition.

DE 43 42 962 C1 specifies a device for the coupling of two containers,in which a closing flap is present on each of two identical tubularconnection pieces for the purpose of transferring a commodity betweenthe two containers. When the containers are each in isolation, theclosing flaps are clamped in elastic annular seals, so-called sealingbeads, on the end faces of the tubular connection pieces and seal offthe containers. In the coupled position, when the two housings buttagainst one another with the end faces of their tubular connectionpieces, the sealing beads are deformed in such a way that the clampingeffect of the sealing beads relative to the closing flaps, which liesealingly on one another in this position, is reduced. The closing flapscan subsequently be jointly rotated in the tubular connection pieces,the pivot axes of the two flaps lying in a common axis.

DE 195 20 409 C1 specifies a device for the coupling of containers to ablowing and suckaway means, in which an elastic sealing bead surroundsthe end face of a tubular connection piece, the said sealing beadresting against the circumference of the closing flap, when the latteris in the closing position, in order to seal off relative to the passageorifice. The closing flap can be brought into a position coupled to anidentical closing flap of a second facility, in the coupled position theelastic sealing bead resting in one sealing plane against thecorresponding elastic sealing bead of the second facility.

Since there is no seal between the closing flaps, a transferredcommodity can pass between the closing flaps when the latter are in theopened position. Since, in the coupled position, the elastic bead atleast partially projects above the sealing plane and a buffer chamber isobtained between the closing flaps, this commodity can, after transfer,be blown out by a blowing means.

It has also already been proposed to seal off the closing flaps relativeto the respective passage orifices in such a way that there is, on thecircumference of the closing flaps, a seal which, in the closingposition, is pressed by means of internal excess pressure onto therespective sealing face of the passage orifice. In this case, the sealis located in a groove of the closing flaps. A solution of this type isillustrated in FIG. 1 and is briefly described prior to the exemplaryembodiment.

The disadvantage of the known solutions is that in the region of theouter circumference of the closing flaps, between the individual seals,there are annular gaps, in which transferred commodity may settle, saidcommodity entering the environment undesirably after the correspondingfacilities or containers have been uncoupled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object on which the invention is based is to specify a sealingsystem for a closing flap on a passage orifice, of the type mentioned inthe introduction, which is suitable for cooperating with identicalclosing flaps on other facilities, no annular gaps, in which residues ofthe transported or transferred commodity may settle, being formedbetween the closing flaps and relative to the respective facilities inthe region of the outer circumference of the closing flaps when thelatter are in the coupled and closed position.

The essence of the invention is that, in the noncoupled, but closedposition, in which the outer faces of the closing flap and the outersealing faces on the associated facilities lie in one plane, the sealingplane, the seal on the closing flap axially projects with an elasticbead beyond this plane.

When the corresponding facilities are coupled to one another, theelastic bead is pressed back into the sealing plane, the seal, togetherwith the bead, being positively deformed in such a way that alldesign-related annular gaps in the outer region of the two closingflaps, resting against one another in parallel, relative to the sealingface in the passage orifice are filled with the seal. This ensures that,when the closing flaps are in the open position, there is no space inwhich transferred commodity may settle.

The seal is designed in such a way that, even after the two facilitieshave been coupled, that is to say after the seal, together with thebead, has been deformed due to the closing flaps being pressed againstone another, the closing flaps can be actuated easily. The deformationof the seal should not lead to such high pressure on the passage orificethat the closing flap can be opened only with a great deal of effort.

In the simplest version, the seal may consist of soft solid rubber orelastomer.

The seal is designed in such a way that in the state of rest, that is tosay without internal excess pressure, said seal is not in contact or incontact only in the manner of a lip seal with the sealing face in thepassage orifice. Frictionless or low-friction movement of the closingflaps is consequently possible. The closing flaps are sealed offrelative to the passage orifice solely under the effect of a pressuremedium acting from inside. When the corresponding facilities are beingcoupled, the elastic bead on the seal is deformed essentially likewisein the way described. In the exemplary embodiment, this form of designis illustrated in more detail.

The seal is designed in such a way that, when the two facilities are inthe coupled position and after the two closing flaps have come together,said seal seals on all sides and fills the free spaces in the sealingregion. Only when the closing flaps are to be opened is a vacuumgenerated inside the seal, so that the sealing force is reduced orcanceled in such a way that the closing flaps can be actuated.

The design of the seal may also be modified within the scope of theinvention. Thus, the seal may have annular elastic strips which mayperform further sealing functions or else holding functions. In thiscase, the seal may surround the entire outer surface of the closingflap. It is essential to the invention that the seal be sufficientlysupported relative to the interior of the facility and that the bead onthe seal is deformed to the extent according to the invention when thetwo cooperating closing flaps come together.

The advantage of the invention is essentially that, according to the setobject, after the two corresponding facilities have been coupled for thetransfer of a flowable commodity and have been uncoupled again,virtually no commodity of this kind can enter the environment.

The invention will be explained in more detail below in an exemplaryembodiment. A solution according to the prior art is illustratedbeforehand for explanatory purposes.

FIG. 1 shows a pair of prior art sealing flaps in a closed and coupledposition.

FIG. 2 is a detail of two closing flaps in the passage orifice where thefacilities are uncoupled.

FIG. 3 is a detail of two closing flaps where the facilities arecoupled.

FIG. 4 is a detail of two closing flaps where the facilities are coupledwith the interiors of the seals subjected to a pressure medium.

FIG. 5 is a detail of FIG. 4 in the uncoupled position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Solution According to the PriorArt

The state of the art illustrated in FIG. 1 serves to explain theinvention. In this case, two different facilities 1 and 2 are coupled toone another. A sealing ring 5 is located between the plane sealing faces3 and 4. The two closing flaps 6 and 7 also rest against one another inthe plane of the sealing faces 3 and 4. The two closing flaps 6 and 7are sealed off relative to one another at the outer edge by means of aflat ring seal 8. Located in corresponding grooves on the circumferenceof the closing flaps 6 and 7 are the seals 9 and 10 which in the closedposition, both in the coupled position and in the isolated position ofthe respective facility 1 or 2, can be subjected to internal excesspressure and, as illustrated in FIG. 1, come to rest against thespherical sealing faces 11 and 12. In this state of the art, theinter-connected annular gaps 13 and 14 necessarily occur, by virtue ofdesign, as free spaces. When the closing flaps 6 and 7 are jointlypivoted in order to open them, transferred commodity settles in thespaces 13 and 14 and, when the closing flaps are subsequently closed andthe two facilities 1 and 2 are separated from one another, may enter theenvironment, without being impeded.

Exemplary Embodiment

FIGS. 2 to 5 illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the sealing systemaccording to the invention in various positions.

In FIG. 2, two different facilities 20 and 21, which may, for example,be a transport container and a storage container or a supply containerand a processing facility, are illustrated in the uncoupled position. Aclosing flap 22 is associated with the facility 20 and a closing flap 23with the facility 21. In an equivalent way, a groove 24 is worked in onthe circumference of the individual closing flaps 22 and 23, the seal 25according to the invention being held in said groove.

The design according to the invention of the sealing system is explainedin more detail by the example of the closing flap 22. The groove 24 has,toward the interior of the facility 20, a leg 26 which extends near tothe spherical sealing face 27 in the passage orifice. The leg 26 is notto come in contact with the sealing face 27 during the movement of theclosing flap 22, but the seal 25 is to be supported over a large area onthis side.

On the other side of the groove 24, the corresponding leg 28 is ofradially shortened design. The seal 25 fills the entire groove 24.According to the invention, the seal 25 has a bead 29 which overlaps theradially shortened leg 28 along the axial length of the passage orifice.

The seal 25 is of hollow design, the cavity 30 also encroaching into thebead 29. In the example, an oblique sealing face 31 is designed on thebead 29, in such a way that the sealing face 31 projects relative to theouter face 32 of the closing flap 22 further in the radially outerregion than in the inner region. In the state of rest illustrated, theseal 25 is at a short distance from the sealing face 27 in the passageorifice.

In FIG. 3, the two facilities 20 and 21 have been moved against oneanother and coupled to one another. The closing flaps 22 and 23 restsealingly with their faces 32 and 33 on one another in the sealing plane34. In this case, the beads 29 on the two seals 25 are deformed in sucha way that said beads rest sealingly on one another and jointly extendoutward up to the spherical sealing face 27. The deformation is onlysuch that the two seals 25 rest lightly against the sealing faces 27 inthe region of the contact plane 34. In this case, the sealing forcerelative to the sealing faces 27 is, in the manner of a lip seal, soslight that the closing flaps 22 and 23 can easily be pivoted jointly,so that the respective commodity is allowed to flow through. The commonouter surface of the closing flaps 22 and 23 resting against oneanother, including the two seals 25, does not have any appreciableannular gaps.

In comparison with the state of the art, as was illustrated in FIG. 1,it can be clearly seen in FIG. 3 that there are no spaces similar to theannular gaps 13 or 14 in FIG. 1.

When the closing flaps 22 and 23, after being opened, are pivoted againinto the closing position, although transferred commodity may settle inthe inwardly open spaces 35, it does not escape outward after theclosing of the closing flaps 22 and 23 and therefore also cannot pollutethe environment.

FIG. 4 shows the position of the seals 25 in the closing position of theclosing flaps 22 and 23, before the facilities 20 and 21 are separatedfrom one another. In this position, a pressure medium, for examplecompressed air has been introduced into the cavity 30 within the seal25, and the latter is pressed with high sealing force and with itsentire outer surface against the respective sealing face 27.

In this phase, settled commodity, which was present in the spaces 35according to FIG. 3, has been forced away or jammed harmlessly betweenthe seals 25 and the sealing face 27.

FIG. 5 illustrates the position of the seals 25 according to FIG. 4, butthe two facilities 20 and 21 have been separated from one another. Inthis position, the closing flaps 22 and 23 ensure the closure of thepassage orifices of the facilities 20 and 21 which are in the isolatedposition.

What is claimed is:
 1. Sealing system for a closing flap in a passageorifice of a facility wherein said closing flap may lie in parallelagainst an identical closing flap on another facility in a sealing planeand cooperate therewith when said facilities are coupled to each otherin such a way that the interiors of the two facilities can be connectedto one another and wherein said closing flap has a seal on itscircumference such that, in at least a closed and coupled position, saidclosing flap seals off said passage orifice, wherein the improvementcomprises said closing flap having, on the circumference, a groove whichis defined by first and second annular legs, the first leg which, in aclosed position, extends radially near to a sealing surface of thepassage orifice, and the second leg being radially shortened relative tosaid first leg, and wherein said seal has, in the region radiallyoutside the shortened second leg, an elastic bead which axially overlapsthe shortened second leg such that when the facilities are in theuncoupled position, said elastic bead projects at least partially,beyond said sealing plane.
 2. Sealing system according to claim 1,wherein said seal can be subjected internally to a pressure medium suchthat, when the closing flap is in the closed position, the seal can bepressed with its entire circumference onto the sealing surface of theassociated passage orifice.
 3. Sealing system according to claim 2,wherein an interior space for the pressure medium within the sealextends into the elastic bead.
 4. Sealing system according to claim 1,wherein when the closing flap is in the closed position, the seal restswith the entire circumference of said seal against the sealing surfaceof the associated passage orifice, wherein an interior of the seal canbe at a vacuum such that the seal does not significantly rest againstthe surface of the associated passage orifice.
 5. Sealing systemaccording to claim 1, wherein said seal is an elastic annular seal.